You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me
20: 3

You shall have no other gods before Me REFLECT: Has God’s reign in my life been replaced by another object or person I would rather serve? Do I love other things more than I love the LORD?

You shall have no other gods in addition to Me (Exodus 20:3).

For even if there are so called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom we have our being (First Corinthians 8:5-6).

God condemns polytheism, which is the worship of more than one god. In that day this was a very difficult teaching because it was popular to worship many gods. Indeed, Israel had just escaped from Egypt, where thousands of gods were worshiped. Surprisingly, we learn that even the Israelites had worshiped false gods while living in Egypt (Ezeki’el 20:5-8). Unfortunately, Isra’el often disobeyed this very first command by worshiping the idols of other nations.³⁶³ This resulted in the northern Kingdom being taken over by Assyria and the southern Kingdom taken exile in Babylon.

Today, the temptation is to worship no god at all. But the decision before us is not between atheism or God. It is not the issue of God or no God. That is not our choice. The question is which deity we will worship – the true and living God who came to us as Jesus Christ or a substitute god? Inevitably we must look to something beyond ourselves. This something helps us make choices in life. It gives us a set of values or priorities that serve as a reference point. It becomes the determining factor in our lives so that gradually and perhaps without knowing it, we become like the God or god we worship.

Every deity stamps his worshiper with his trademark (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Dp – The Mark is the Name of the Beast or the Number of His Name), and your god could be leaving his mark upon your life today. Martin Luther said it beautifully, “Whatever the heart clings to, whatever the heart relies on, that is your god.” We must let ADONAI be God, the true and living God. That’s why the Bible opposes every form of idolatry. The greatest sin described in the Bible is not breaking the commandments but rejecting God, or idolatry. Idolatry is misplaced allegiance, making a commitment, having a love, a priority, to a god that displeases and dethrones the true and living God.³⁶⁴ There is only room for one king on the throne of your heart.

But there are other gods besides idols of wood and stone. Money, pleasure, sex, drugs, science, fashion, fame, music, gluttony, sports and a score of other things can take the rightful place of God in our lives. We can even take good things and make gods out of them. For example, Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon did that very thing. For years he studied, earned a doctorate, worked hard, dreamt, and disciplined himself. Finally he was chosen to go with Neil Armstrong on the historic mission to the moon. But after the mission he had an emotional breakdown. It didn’t have anything to do with mission. He became very disillusioned after working hard and attained every goal along the way. But he found it all empty when it was over, He had taken a good thing and made a god out of it. And it did what all false gods do, it turned around and destroyed him. That’s what always happens when we turn God’s gifts into false gods.

So does it matter who the God of your life is? It certainly does! It is the difference between eternal life and eternal death. You shall have no other god’s before Me. Let ADONAI be God in your life. Jesus restated the first commandment when He said: No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other (Matthew 6:24). We cannot love and serve more than one God. If we do, we become fragmented. Polytheism in one’s heart will produce polytheism in one’s personality and emotions. The Bible calls it idolatry. Psychiatry calls it neurosis. The point is that we were built for only one God.

So, who is your God? And where is your God? On the throne? Or do you have a divided loyalty? There is only room for only one person on the throne at a time. Who is on yours? The first commandment is basically saying: I am the Lord your God. I am your Savior. I am your Deliverer. You belong to Me. I am sovereign over you. I am yours and you are mine. This commandment will be the only commandment because I am the only God. Therefore, you shall have no other gods in addition to Me.³⁶⁵

The Ten Commandments
20: 3-17

Compared with Suzerainty Treaties, the Torah also had general conditions more commonly known as the Ten Commandments, or in Hebrew literally the Ten Words. They are also explained in Deuteronomy 4:44 to 11:32, and Joshua 24:14-15 and 23.

The Ten Commandments continue to stir controversy in both the community of believers and society. Some would question their relevance in public life today. Militant groups battle to remove them from schoolrooms, courtrooms and government offices, confining them instead to the area of private religion. More disturbing is the extent to which teaching the Ten Commandments in the Church has been replaced by the widespread heresy of antinomianism, or the idea that all one has to do is to try one’s best to be saved, and that the Ten Commandments should be ignored.³⁶²

Yeshua said to His disciples: Come, follow Me (Matthew 4:19). Following Jesus involves keeping the commandments of ADONAI. He said: Whoever has My commandments and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him (John 14:21). Not only that, but the coming of the Messiah, did not do away with the Ten Commandments. Jesus taught: Do not think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17).

Therefore, for believers, what is the purpose of the Ten Commandments today? First of all, they are not a set of rules. Rules cannot bring freedom, they can only accuse. What they do accomplish is to reveal the heart of God, and thus are an indispensable part of the life of a believer. They have nothing to do with our justification, but they have everything to do with our sanctification. Justification is a one-time action by the LORD whereby, negatively, He forgives the sins of believers and, positively, He declares them righteous by imputing the obedience and righteousness of Christ to them through faith (Genesis 15:6; Psalm 32:2; Jeremiah 23:6; Romans 3:28 to 4:6; Gal 2:16, 3:8-9, 21, 24). Sanctification, however, is to be set apart, specifically, to the holy use and purpose of God. It takes work, and is a continuous lifetime struggle to be transformed into the likeness of Christ (Second Corinthians 3:18; Romans 12:1-2). It is a goal, and in reality, is never accomplished during our lifetime (see Perfectionism by B.B. Warfield). The result of being transformed is inward peace (Isaiah 32:17), observable spiritual fruit (Second Corinthians 9:8; Second Peter 1:5-11), and a deep desire to honor ADONAI (Matthew 5-16; John 15:8).

The Ten Commandments reveal the heart of God in three ways. First, the Torah is still a moral guide by revealing sin (Romans 7:7). Secondly, we know that all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (Second Timothy 3:16). Therefore, the Torah can be used as a teaching tool to show ADONAI’s standard of righteousness, so that we can know Him better and love Him more. And thirdly, it can also be used to point others to Yeshua (Galatians 3:24-25). Nine of these Ten Commandments are also found in the New Covenant with conditions of the heart added that make us even more accountable not only in our actions, but in our thoughts as well. You could say they are God’s blueprint for living.

I Am the LORD Your God,
Who Brought You Out of the Land of Slavery
20: 1-2

As the people stood at the foot of Mount Sinai, God spoke to them and provided the Torah for them. And God spoke all these words to angels (Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2), who gave it to Moses (Exodus 20:1).

When compared with Suzerainty Treaties, the Torah would have a preamble and a historical introduction. The preamble of I am ADONAI your God (20:2a) is brief and to the point. And it is also recorded in Deuteronomy 1:1-4, and Joshua 24:1-2a. It was His Torah and it originated with Him. And since God is truth, His word is truth. The main thing about your Word is that it’s true; and all your just rulings last forever (Psalm 119:160 CJB). By employing the preamble in this way, God demonstrates His sovereignty and kingship over His people.

The phrase: Who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery (Exodus 20:2b), which is almost as brief as the preamble, is a condensed summary of God’s mighty acts in the past and serves as the historical introduction that follows. It is also detailed in Deuteronomy 1:5 and 4:43, and Joshua 24:2b-13. Thus, the Ten Commandments flow easily from both the preamble and the historical introduction. It was like God was saying to the Israelites, “On the basis of who I am, and what I have done for you, here is what you are to do for Me.”

Therefore, the Ten Commandments begin with the character of God. Before He tells us one commandment, He tells us: I am ADONAI your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. For us today, when the LORD establishes His place in our lives that means He has the right to demand that we will worship and love Him alone because what He has done for us on the cross.

ADONAI and the Torah
20: 1-26

The TaNaKh pictures the wedding ceremony of ADONAI to the nation of Isra’el, just the B’rit Chadashah pictures the wedding ceremony of Yeshua to the Church (see the commentary on Revelation Fg – Blessed Are Those Who are Invited to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb). After the engagement (6:7a), the separation of the bride (5:1), and the segulah (19:5), we now come to the actual wedding ceremony. First, we saw the people purify themselves in the mikveh (19:10 and 14), then we saw them standing under the chupah where the wedding takes place (19:16a). Now we come to the central part of the wedding called the ketubah. In traditional Jewish weddings the ketubah is the marriage contract or covenant. It is the legally binding agreement between the bride and groom which governs their marriage. It is always a written agreement, which is how the word ketubah derives its name, from the Hebrew “to write.” The ketubah is read and signed during the wedding ceremony.

In this wedding ceremony at Mount Sinai, what is the ketubah? What is it that is the legally binding marriage contract or covenant between YHVH and His bride, Isra’el? It is Torah! For here, in Chapter 20, ADONAI begins to give His Torah to Isra’el. The first part of the revelation of the Torah is what the Bible calls The Ten Words, otherwise known as the Ten Commandments (to see link click Dj – The Ten Commandments). However,  the reality is that the entire Torah is the ketubah.

One of the great events in the history of Isra’el, and also in the history of mankind, was God giving the Torah to the children of Isra’el through Moses. It was not given so that the Israelites, by keeping it, could attain righteousness (Galatians 3:11). A righteous standing before God has always been by faith in God alone (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3 and 22, 5:1; Galatians 2:16, 3:6 and 21). The Torah functioned, and continues to function, to teach the Israelites about both righteousness and their sinfulness (Romans 3:19-20b). The Ten Commandments are a part of the Torah, but in total there were six hundred and thirteen commands, 365 negative and 248 positive commands, that Moses would eventually record.

We do not worship the Torah. But when we give reverence to it, we practice the reverence that we will give to the Christ when He comes again. In fact, the Torah means the teacher and the rabbis believe that the Torah is the light of the world.

The Torah was given by means of angels. There are many Jewish traditions that are passed down but are ignored in the B’rit Chadashah and therefore carry no validity. However, there are other traditions contained in Jewish writings that apparently do have weight because the New Covenant validates them. Nowhere in the TaNaKh are we told that when Moses received the Torah he received it from angels. Nevertheless, the fact that God gave the Torah by means of angels is validated three times in the B’rit Chadashah (Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2).

What was the purpose the Torah? Well, one thing we know for sure, it was never intended to be a means of salvation. Because if that were true, it would mean that salvation was by works. The clear teaching of Scripture is that salvation is always by grace through faith, plus nothing. However, the content of faith changed from dispensation to dispensation. And what the content of faith was in different dispensations was determined by the amount of revelation that ADONAI had given up to that time. Progressive revelation teaches: God did not choose to give all of the Scriptures at one time, but they were recorded for over sixteen hundred years by about forty different authors. The more Scripture that was given, the more revelation was given and man had greater knowledge of what it meant to be saved.

So if the Torah was not meant to save anyone, what was its purpose? There were seven basic purposes. First, it revealed the holiness of God. It revealed the standard of righteousness that God demanded. One would not have to read many of the six hundred and thirteen commandments to realize that he or she had broken quite a few of them. One would conclude that it was hopeless to be saved by works.

Second, it was to provide a blueprint for living for the righteous of the TaNaKh (Romans 3:20 and 28). The way they demonstrated their faith was by striving, although never succeeding, to keep the Torah.

Third, it was to serve as a barrier, or a dividing wall of hostility separating Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14). As long as the Torah was in effect, Gentiles could not enjoy the spiritual blessings of the Jewish covenants. The only way they could was: to become converts to Judaism, put themselves under total subjection to the Torah, submit to it by means of circumcision and in all practical purposes, live as any Jew would live. So only Gentiles as converts to Judaism, but not Gentiles as Gentiles, could enjoy those Jewish spiritual blessings.

Fourth, the Torah was to reveal sin (Romans 3:19-20, 5:20, 7:7). After reading the Torah no one could claim to be without sin. The Torah was like a mirror being held up to each Israelite to reveal his or her own sin.

Fifth, interestingly enough, was to make people sin more (Romans 4:15, 7:8-13). Our sin nature actually uses the Torah as a basis of operation because where there is no commandment there is no transgression of it. For example, as soon as the Torah said: You shall not, the sin nature says, “Oh, yes I will.” Or if the Torah said you will do this or that, the sin nature says, “Oh, no I won’t.” Suddenly, the sin nature had a base of operation, the Torah. The Apostle Paul goes on to state that the problem was not with the Torah because it was holy, righteous and ordained by God. The problem was our sin nature. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Torah (First Corinthians 15:56). Plus, those who felt they were keeping the commandments of the Torah judged others that they felt were not keeping the commandments.

Sixth, it was to teach the way of righteousness. The Hebrew word Torah is derived from the Hebrew root yarah, which means to shoot an arrow or to teach. Torah means teaching or instruction that is true and straight as if the words of Torah are shot in a direct path like an arrow, with power and force for living life to the fullest.

Seventh, and most important purpose of the Torah, was to lead Jews to faith in the Messiah. Rabbi Sha’ul stated that the Torah was our tutor to lead us to the Messiah that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24). If we really learned the lesson of the fourth purpose, that no one could claim to be without sin; and the lesson of the fifth purpose, that our sin nature causes us to sin more, that will lead to the sixth purpose, that is to lead us to faith in the Messiah because we would understand that it would be impossible to fulfill His perfect, righteous standard.

There was once a king who had an only daughter, and one of the kings came and married her. When her husband wished to return to his country, her father said to him, “My daughter, whose hand I have given you, is my only child. I cannot part with her. Neither can I say to you, “Do not take her,” for she is your wife. This one favor, however, I ask of you, wherever you go to live, prepare a chamber for me that I may dwell with you, for I cannot leave my daughter.”

In the same way, ADONAI said to Isra’el, “I have given you the Torah. I cannot part with her, and I also cannot tell you not to take her. But this I request of You, wherever you go, make for Me a house wherein I may dwell” (Midrash Rabbah).

Under the Chuppah
19: 16-25

Under the Chuppah DIG: In what sense are the Israelites standing under the chupah? As this covenant was with all the people, why do you think God wants only Moses on the mountain with Him (19:9, 19-20)? What role do the elders and Aaron play in this (19:7-8, 24)? Why did God allow only Moshe to speak for Him?

REFLECT: After all was said and done, who met with YHVH that day? Only Moses? Aaron and the priests? The people as well? Explain how each may have met God in his or her own way. The Bible teaches that the fear of ADONAI is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). In what ways do you fear God? Is this helpful or hurtful to you? Why? How?

The wedding itself: the chupah. After the engagement (6:7a), the separation of the bride (5:1), and the segulah (19:5), we now come to the actual wedding ceremony of ADONAI and the nation of Isra’el. First, we saw the people purify themselves in the mikveh (19:10 and 14), now we see them standing under the chuppah, or a canopy under which the wedding takes place. The word chuppah is also used in the Bible, both in Joel 2:16 where we read: Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride from her chuppah, and in Psalm 19:6, where it talks about the bridegroom coming out of his chuppah. In Jewish thinking, the chuppah is a symbolic house. It is a single domain into which the groom welcomes his bride. Indeed, the chuppah even looks like a little house with open sides. But where was the chuppah on Mount Sinai? On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightening, with a thick cloud (the chuppah, so to speak) covering the Groom (God) and the bride (Isra’el) on the mountain (19:16a). It was there that ADONAI welcomed Isra’el, as represented by Moshe. Their new “home” or place of dwelling was to be eternally with Him.³⁵⁵

And then the promised sign was given (19:13), a very loud trumpet blast announced the presence of God in the midst of His people. Everyone in the camp trembled (19:16b). In fact, as the writer to the Hebrews thought back on it (Hebrews 12:18-21) he said, that Mount Sinai became a place of utter terror. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain (19:17). Never was there such a sermon preached before or since.

The Sh’khinah glory became visible again when Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because ADONAI descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently but no life was lost (19:18). Amazing cosmic displays of this kind often accompanied God’s arrival (Second Thessalonians; Hebrews 12:18-19; Revelation 1, 5 and 11:19). A smoking fire pot with a blazing torch symbolized the presence of God at the institution of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 15:17), and in a similar way fire along with smoke like from a furnace accompanied the appearance of God on Mount Sinai at the time of the institution of the Mosaic Covenant.³⁵⁶

And the sound of the sophar, or trumpet, grew louder and louder. Yet despite the chaos, there was an element of peace when Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him in front of the people of Isra’el. The Israelites heard God’s voice speaking to Moshe (19:19) out of the fire, but they did not see Him (Deuteronomy 4:15) because God is spirit (Isaiah 31:4; John 4:24).³⁵⁷ ADONAI descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moshe went up (19:19-20). A contrast is underscored in this passage by a pair of antonyms. Whereas the people were standing at the bottom of the mountain (19:17), God stood on top of the mountain. In addition, Moses went up Mount Sinai, but ADONAI descended upon it. The antithesis being represented by these word-contrasts is the separation that exists between a holy and pure God and an unholy people. Once again, Moshe was summoned to mediate between the two.³⁵⁸

And once Moses reached the top of Mount Sinai, ADONAI said to His servant: Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see YHVH because many of them would perish (19:21). Even the priests, who approach Him, must consecrate themselves, or they would die a sudden violent death (19:22). We must understand that the term priests here refers to the firstborn that God had set apart for Himself, they functioned as priests (13:2 and 24:5) before the tribe of Levi was set apart for that purpose and took their place (Exodus 28, 29; Numbers 8:14).³⁵⁹

Moshe responded to God’s repeated message by saying: The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because You Yourself warned us not to (19:23). Maybe Moses did not fully understand God’s reason for repeating what He had said earlier in 19:12-13, but God did not underestimate the people’s tendency to grumble and forget His decrees. Thus, because the penalty would be so severe, He had repeated it for emphasis lest they forget! So ADONAI commanded Moses His servant: Go! Go down and tell them anyway. And the next time you come to the top of the mountain bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up, or they will die. So Moshe went down to the people and told them all that God had said (19:24-25).

Like these people of Isra’el of old, we know what it is to fear the Lord (Second Corinthians 5:11). In this section we have read of the people’s fear in approaching God, and we also know that the fear of ADONAI is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10a). However, at the same time every believer has been given the grace of God. We know that God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were sinners, Messiah died for us (Romans 5:8). Therefore, both of these positions are true; we are to fear Him and we are to love Him. Are these two mutually exclusive? No! But then how does it work?

First, for believers and unbelievers alike, we must have a healthy regard for God’s judgment. ADONAI is the God of power and justice. He is the sovereign God of righteousness, of creation and destruction. Jesus said it best Himself: I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has the power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him (Luke 12:4-5). However, if you believe, trust, and have faith in Christ you have been saved from this fate.

Secondly, as believers, our right standing before with God has been dealt with on the cross and empty tomb. In that sense, there is no fear on our part. The life of a believer is not about living in fear. For us, the fear of ADONAI means that we ought to have a reverence, awe and respect for Him resulting in worship, adoration and service (Job 28:28; Psalms 19:9, 22-23, 111:10; Proverbs 1:7, 8:13, 9:10).³⁶⁰ Yeshua is the Lord of redemption and mercy. This sense of awe should keep us from thinking that God is my pal. If we fall into that trap, we develop confidence without a sense of reverence.

Exodus 19 is a clear reminder that the God we meet with regularly is the Creator of everything. He is fearful, threatening, unsettling, all-powerful and all-knowing. He is, to use the well-known expression of the beaver in C. S. Lewis’ classic children’s book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, not safe – but good. Ha’Shem is both someone to be feared and the One who has traveled the universe to meet us where we are. He came in the form of a human being, born of a woman, who bore our sin in His own body and who desperately loves us. It is perhaps, in the end, a paradox well worth remembering: We fear Him because He is good, and we see His goodness because we fear Him.³⁶¹

Go to the People and Consecrate Them
19: 10-15

Go to the people and consecrate them DIG: How do God’s people become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (19:6, 10-15)? Why do you think so much emphasis is placed on barring people from the mountain? On washing their clothes? On abstaining from sexual relations?

REFLECT: How do believers today wash or abstain to get ready for an encounter with the living God? What do you to prepare to worship God? How else can you set yourself apart for Him?

To properly worship God both inward and outward preparations were necessary. My mother was raised in the Quaker Church. When she grew up, she said her parents called Saturday, “Preparation day,” because it was a day to prepare both physically, mentally and spiritually to meet with God on Sunday.

ADONAI said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow.” The verbal root of the word consecrate is qadash, which literally means to set apart, to make unique or to make distinct. The prophet was to prepare the people to be pure and sanctified because on the third day, ADONAI would descend on the mountain to meet with them. He commanded: Have them wash their clothes for two days and be ready by the third day, because on that day ADONAI will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people (19:10-11). The Bible often depicts God as dwelling in the heavens above (First Kings 8:30 and 49; John 8:23); therefore, any appearance on earth requires that He should come down (Genesis 11:5-7, 18:21; Exodus 3:8).

YHVH would come down on the third day. Three days is a significant time period in the Scriptures. For instance, in the story of the offering of Isaac and his father Abraham, the two of them traveled for three days after God’s command for Abraham to sacrifice him. On the third day they came to Moriah, the place of the sacrifice (Genesis 22:4). The reason for the three days’ delay was so that Abraham could not act spontaneously, or impulsively, in obeying God’s Word. He had to prepare and ponder. The same is true of the people of Isra’el at the foot of Mount Sinai. They could not act impulsively, but they had to wait and seriously consider the meaning of God’s meeting with them.³⁵¹ Today, many Jews observe three days of consecration in order to make themselves worthy of celebrating the Shavu’ot.

Just as Moshe was earlier commanded to remove his sandals on the holy ground where God met him (3:5), so now the people were to keep their distance from the holy mountain. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, “Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. The same result was echoed in the Garden of Eden if Adam or Eve failed to obey God’s similar warning (Genesis 2:17). He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows, not a hand is to he laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live. The mountain was off limits, and so would be the body of any transgressor. Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain (19:12-13). Because the mountain would be holy, a boundary was set. Mount Sinai became off limits for both man and beast.

The wedding itself: the mikveh. After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations” (19:14-15). After the engagement (6:7a), the separation of the bride (5:1), and the segulah (19:5), we now come to the actual wedding ceremony of ADONAI and the nation of Isra’el. Before a traditional Jewish wedding, it is customary for the bride to go into the mikveh.

In many ways, immersion in a mikveh is even more important than the wedding itself. A woman is required by Torah to immerse herself in a mikveh (a pool of gathered fresh waters) following her monthly menstrual cycle. During this cycle, the couple is to abstain from sexual relations until after seven days, and following her immersion. During this time the woman has the status called, niddah. The word niddah has no implication of dirtiness or uncleanness. Rather, it comes from the root meaning removed or separated.

Before the separation can end, she must be immersed. However, the mikveh is much more than the usual “purification.” It also carries with it the idea of rebirth. Thus, in many ways, the mikveh represents the womb. When a person immerses, it is as if he or she momentarily returned to the womb. When they emerge, it’s almost as if they were reborn . . . a completely new person. This is why new converts to Judaism are immersed.

So, here, Isra’el stood before YHVH at Mount Sinai. But before the Torah was given, all the Israelites had to immerse (19:10 and 14). We know this because how much more should ritual immersion be required where the mere washing of clothes is also required! When the Holy One instructed Isra’el to immerse in the mikveh, it was as if the bride had to end her period of separation before being intimate with the LORD. Speaking of His marriage to Isra’el at Sinai, God said: I swore to you, and entered into a covenant with you – and you became Mine. Then I immersed you in water (Ezeki’el 16:8-9). The immersion refers to that of the Israelites before receiving the Torah. In the metaphor of the bride, however, it also refers to the immersion of a bride before marriage.³⁵²

Such careful preparation underscored the significance of the event that was about to transpire. The God of the heavens was about to make a covenant with His people. Unlike pagan deities who supposedly lived on the mountains, the God of Isra’el descended from heaven to the mountain to speak with His people (First Kings 8:30 and 49).³⁵³ This must have been a terrifying experience for the people of Isra’el. They were not permitted to go up the mountain, or even touch it, or they would die. Even their animals were not allowed to cross the boundary of the sacred area. They had agreed to a Covenant that they didn’t even know. They had to wash their clothes. They were afraid.

The writer to the Hebrews contrasts the anxious, frightening and apprehensive scene with the way the New Covenant believer comes before ADONAI. He says: You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” The sight was so terrifying that Moshe said, “I am trembling with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion – to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, a joyous gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are written in a scroll in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous ones made perfect, and to Yeshua, the Mediator of a New Covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than the blood of Abel (see the commentary on Hebrews, to see link click Dc – The Earthy Mount Sinai and the Heavenly Mount Tziyon).

The fear of those on the verge of accepting Jesus, or Yeshua, should not be of persecution they might receive for believing in Him, but the judgment they will inevitably receive for rejecting Him. Their fear should not be of coming to Mount Zion but of turning back to Mount Sinai. The contrast is clear.³⁵⁴

What is your choice? Mount Zion or Mount Sinai? Or that of no choice? Some believe that they are not choosing. But in fact, by seemingly not choosing, they have turned their back on Yeshua. Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4). There are only two kinds of spiritual food, “devils food” or “angels food,” and if you aren’t eating one – you’re eating the other!

The Calling of Isra’el
19: 3-9

The calling of Isra’el DIG: What is the segulah and how does it relate to the wedding of Isra’el to ADONAI? What does God expect from the leadership of Isra’el? What does He promise will result? What right does the LORD have to dictate the terms of this Covenant?

REFLECT: What barriers has Yeshua set aside so that we can draw near to God with confidence (see Hebrews 10:19-23)? What does Peter urge us to do to become a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, belonging to God (First Peter 2:9)?

This territory was not new to Moses. He had lived nearby with his father-in-law for forty years and it was here that he had met ADONAI at the burning bush. Notice how Moses seemed eager to seek another interview with God on the same holy ground. He went up to the mountain, but did not yet climb it. Then Moshe went up to meet with God at Mount Sinai, and ADONAI called to him from the mountain. It is interesting that God instantly responded to Moshe and He is also eager to respond to us. When we come near to God, He will come near to us (James 4:8).³⁴⁶

God Himself was responsible for Isra’el’s redemption. And He wanted them to remember what He had done in destroying Egypt and bringing them to Himself. This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Isra’el, “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself” (19:3-4). The expression, eagles’ wings, is a Hebrew idiom that means a successful escape after being pursued. You can find it in Deuteronomy 32:11 and Revelation 12:14, with the same meaning. So on the way from Egypt to Mount Sinai, ADONAI had carried them on eagles’ wings by grace. He sweetened the bitter waters of Marah, He gave them manna and quail when they were hungry and water from the rock when they were thirsty, and He delivered them from the Amalekites.

Not only were the Israelites to remember what the LORD had done for them, but also that memory was to motivate them to obey.³⁴⁷ He promised: If you obey Me fully and keep My Covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Even though all the earth is God’s, yet Isra’el was His private cherished treasure above all other peoples if they would obey. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (19:5-6). The whole concept of a chosen people arises from these statements. God did not merely give the Torah to save Isra’el. He gave the Torah so that they might know how to live for Him and be His treasured possession.³⁴⁸

There’s going to be a wedding! The engagement (Exodus 6:7a) and the separation of the bride (Exodus 5:1), have already taken place. Now we have the segulah. Exodus presents a very moving scene where the Groom (YHVH) took His would-be bride to a beautifully secluded spot and spoke kind and tender words to her, telling her how much He loved her. One of the words He calls her in English is treasured possession (19:5), but the Hebrew word is segulah. It is a very picturesque word. In ancient times it was used in Canaanite literature to describe what a king would think concerning the possessions he may have gained when he conquered another people. He would have many new valuable objects, but only a few choice ones would he classify as segulot (plural of segulah). These, he considered the most prized possessions which he treated with special care and kept under special protection. Thus, Exodus 19:5 states  the King of kings possesses all of the earth, but only Isra’el does He consider to be His special, loved and treasured possession – His segulah.³⁴⁹

Not only wold Isra’el be God’s treasured possession, but she would also be for Him a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, Ha’Shem’s representative, as it were, for and to other Gentile nations (19:6). Summarizing what the Eternal One was telling Isra’el, His bride, we see that not only would Isra’el enjoy the unique status of being God’s treasured possession, but she would also have both the privilege and responsibility to “show-and-tell” the Gentile nations of the world who ADONAI really was. In short, Isra’el was/is to be a nation among the other nations serving as a perpetual witness and testimony of the one true God. How much this would actually happen is the object of much debate. But the fact of her calling is certain.

Imagine how it would have been if, on the night of your wedding engagement, your potential spouse told you in lovingly enduring terms exactly what God’s plans for your marriage would be – glorious, meaningful, and praiseworthy plant! This is exactly what the LORD was telling Isra’el. He described, in most definite terms, what their marriage would be like. Since the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was the One who formulated this marriage, in one way or another, these plans would ultimately be carried out with Isar’el.

So Moses descended from the mountain. He went back to the camp of Isra’el and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words ADONAI had commanded him to speak (19:7). They were free to either accept or reject God’s offer, and although the specific terms of the covenant had not yet been spelled out to them, the people at Sinai agreed to obey them. The people all responded together, saying: We will do everything ADONAI has said. So Moses brought their answer back to God (19:8). How little Isra’el understood their own frailty and proneness to sin when they so readily and almost flippantly consented to the condition of obedience. Within a few weeks they had broken every one of commandment in the Torah, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jeremiah 17:9).³⁵⁰

They said, “Bring it on. We’ll keep the Torah,” even before they even knew what it was. Then they demonstrated for fifteen hundred years that they could not keep it. This is the attitude of a great many people today. They think the natural man, with his old nature can please God. But the natural man cannot keep the commandments of YHVH and he fails miserably in the attempt. You and I have that same old nature and it is at war with God. It can never be obedient to God and can never please Him. Have you discovered that in your own life? Have you found that you are a failure at meeting God’s standards? Well, there is good news. Therefore the Torah became our guardian to lead us to Messiah, so that we might be made right based on trusting (Galatians 3:24 TLV).

ADONAI said to Moshe His prophet: I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear Me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you. The physical manifestation of God’s presence was for the benefit of the weak Israelites. The people, since leaving Egypt, had been walking by sight and not by faith. They needed physical, visual assurances. As a result, then, of the Sh’khinah glory, the people will believe in, trust in, and have faith in Moshe. In other words, when the people heard ADONAI speaking to Moshe, there would be no doubt that Moses needed to be believed when He spoke. Then Moses told God what the people had said (19:9).

The Arrival at Sinai
19: 1-2

In the third month, late May or early June, after the Israelites left Egypt – on the very day – they came to the Desert of Sinai. Moses’ journey had come full circle. It was here that God’s promise to Moshe was fulfilled. The LORD had said to His servant: I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain (3:12). Moses met God on Mount Horeb at the burning bush (3:1-11), and he had returned to Him with the recently redeemed Israelites.³⁴¹

It took them three months to get there because they were not traveling every day. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Isra’el camped in front of the mountain. It would be their schoolhouse for the next year. The mountain they camped in front of was Mount Sinai, traditionally identified with modern Jebel Musa, or Mountain of Moses in Arabic. At Mount Sinai they received the Torah, ratified the Mosaic Covenant and prepared the Tabernacle.

The Revelation at Mount Sinai
19:1 to 40:38

We have now come to the fourth and last of the major sections of the book of Exodus. It contains twenty-two of the forty chapters in the book, and it is longer than the first three sections put together. Although some of it is repetitive (35:4 to 38:20, and 39:1-31, repeating earlier sections of the book sometimes almost word for word); it contains vital teaching about God’s blueprint for living as seen in the Ten Commandments and about Christ as seen in the Tabernacle.

The Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai where they remained throughout the rest of the events recorded in Exodus 19:1 to Numbers 10:10. They camped in front of Mount Sinai for eleven months and six days, from the fifteenth day of the third month of their first year of traveling, to the twentieth day of the second month of the second year of traveling (Numbers 10:11). There, Moshe received the Torah from ADONAI with its many instructions for worship for the people that YHVH had redeemed.³⁴⁰

The Dispensation of the Torah
Exodus 19:1 to Acts 1:26

The fifth dispensation is called the Dispensation of Torah. It was given through Moses and contained a total of 613 specific commandments in the Torah. This dispensation begins with Exodus 19:1 and continues through Acts 1:16. It covers the period of time from the Exodus through the life of Messiah to the day of Pentecost, or festival of Shavu’ot.

There are seven dispensations described in the Bible: (1) the Dispensation of Innocence or Freedom (Genesis 1:28 to 3:5); (2) the Dispensation of Conscience or Self-Determination (Genesis 3:6 to 8:14), (3) the Dispensation of Civil Government (Genesis 8:15 to 11:32), (4) the Dispensation of Promise or Patriarchal Rule (Genesis 12:1 to Exodus 18:27), (5) the Dispensation of Torah (Exodus 19:1 to Acts 1:26), (6) the Dispensation of Grace (Acts 2:1 to Revelation 19:21), and (7) the Dispensation of the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom (Isaiah 4:2-6, 11:1 to 12:6, 54:11-17, 60:1-22).

The key person in the fifth dispensation was Moses. He was God’s, chosen mediator between Himself and His people.

Man’s responsibility was to obey the Mosaic Covenant. This involved two major areas. First, they were responsible to obey the 613 commandments of the Torah. Secondly, they were to obey the prophets God would send that would further elaborate on the Torah, define the law, give meaning to the Torah and explain it. In other words, they were to obey the commandments of the Torah and the prophets.

The test during that dispensation involved two things. First, they were to obey the entire Torah. They were to obey all of its 613 commandments because to break only one of these meant that they were guilty of breaking them all (James 2:10). The second part of the test was to believe and accept that God would raise up for them a prophet like Moshe from among the sons of Isra’el (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). In other words, they were to accept Christ once He came, because He was going to be a prophet to the people like Moses.

But then came the failure. They failed in both aspects of the test. First, they failed to keep the Torah (Romans 10:1-3). In fact, not only did they fail to keep the commandments of the Torah, but they tried to get around them. They created their own kind of righteousness by establishing what came to be known as the Oral Law, or the traditions of men (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ei – The Oral Law). Because of this, they felt that they did not have to obey the 613 commandments of the Torah. Secondly, they also failed to accept Christ (Mark 3:22, Matthew 12:24, Luke 11:15-16). Jesus denounced the Scribes and Pharisees, the leadership of Isra’el of that day, because they first rejected His messianic claims, but worse, they were leading the nation to the rejection of Him (John 7:19-20).

As a result of the failure, came judgment in 70 AD, and it involved two things. First, the Temple and Jerusalem itself were destroyed. Secondly, the Jewish people were dispersed throughout the world and they were exiled from the Land until 1948.

Grace was seen throughout the Dispensation of Torah in two ways. First, the sacrificial system was provided because the Jew was not able to keep all 613 commandments. Whenever the individual Jew failed, his or her sin could be covered (not forgiven) by the sacrificial system. It was God’s system for restoring the sinner. However, these sacrifices during the Dispensation of the Torah, with the blood of bulls and goats, were like interest only payments. They could buy the individual Jew a little time, but not forgiveness. The animal sacrifices could not take away their sin. No Jew was ever saved because of any sacrifice brought to the Tabernacle or the Temple. The righteous of the TaNaKh were saved by grace through faith. But faith needs substance. So when individual Jews brought a sacrifice to the Tabernacle or Temple, faith was being demonstrated in the fact that he or she believed that by means of the shedding of blood his or her sins would be covered and fellowship with ADONAI would be restored. Secondly, grace was displayed during this dispensation by God’s provision of judges, kings and prophets. Judges were given to deliver the Jews from the conquest of various peoples. Righteous kings were sent to give them a kingdom of righteousness and justice. Prophets were provided for them to expound on the Torah, call the people back from sin, remind them of where they had failed, and call for repentance.³³⁹

Jethro Returned To His Own Country
18: 27

Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way with great honors, and he returned to his own country a very content new man. Because of his old age, Jethro did not accompany the Israelites to Canaan, but his children and their descendants did (Judges 1:16, 18:30; First Chronicles 23:15-17, 26:24-25).

Jethro and Moses parted company as they had done earlier in 4:19-20, but now for the last time. Presumably Moses’ family remained behind, although Zipporah is not mentioned again. It is interesting that in Numbers 12:1, Moses had married a Cushite woman. This may have been a second wife in addition to Zipporah, or a wife after her death. We just don’t know. But one thing we do know; Jethro returned to his own country alone.

Moses Chose Capable Men From All Isra’el
18: 13-26

Moses chose capable men from all Isra’el DIG: The judges were to decide the simple cases and bring the difficult cases to Moses. In doing so, the burden upon Moses was made light. How does this impact your understanding of Matthew 11:30?

REFLECT: How did you react the last time you were corrected or criticized ? Your spouse? Your in-laws? How do you wish you had reacted under those circumstances? Whose criticism do you receive the best?

The first scene that this Torah portion opens with is that of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moshe, a Midianite Priest, a pagan, and a Gentile, who was watching Moses and evaluating how he was carrying out his responsibilities with the people. Now that Moses had provided a ministry in the life of Jethro, it was his turn to return the favor.³³² Moshe was not only charged with the responsibility of caring for the spiritual and military needs of the nation, but also for the civil problems as well. Apparently a good deal of Moses’ time was devoted to civil problems of the nation. The number of Israelites was great, 600,00 men between the ages of 20 and 50. The next day Moshe took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening (18:13). This verse sets the tone for the entire passage.

As Jethro sized up the situation he realized that Moses could not be an effective leader if he were continually bogged down with civil matters.³³³ When his father-in-law saw all that Moshe was doing for the people, he asked two questions. The first one was rhetorical. What is this you are doing for the people? The second was an accusation. Why do you alone judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening (18:14)? Moses was not abusing his power; the problem was that he was doing too much alone. He was carrying too great a burden and had no assistance.³³⁴

Moshe answered him saying: Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. His response in Hebrew was very straightforward: to enquire of God. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws (18:15-16). The new body of the revealed law that would govern the newly formed nation had already begun (also see 15:25-26). No doubt Moshe had already established basic decrees and laws upon arriving in the desert. The movement of millions of people would not have been possible without such basic structure.

Wisely, Moses’ father-in-law warned him that he was overworked, saying very directly: What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. Literally, fading you will fade. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone (18:17-18). The word for heavy is kabed, which as was emphasized earlier, is a key term in the book of Exodus, having been used earlier of Pharaoh’s heart (8:15, 32, 9:34, 10:1), of the plagues (8:24, 9:3, 18-24, 10:14), and of Moses’ arms (17:12).³³⁵

Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. Here Jethro uses the first of three references to God. It is the type of language that an unbeliever would not use. He continued: You must be the people’s mediator, or representative before God and bring their disputes to Him. It didn’t take a prophet to decide disputes between neighbors. Moshe’s responsibility was to teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform (18:19-20). Thus, Moses’ teaching was not merely in religious instruction, but he was to teach the people how to function in all areas of life. He was to educate them with a worldview based on the Word of God.

But select capable men from all the people – men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain or bribes. The rabbis teach that a man is not fit to act as a judge from whom payment can only be obtained by a lawsuit. There should be a chain of command, he said: Appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Those terms were used to organize the tribes into military and civil units. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you (18:21-22).

If you do this and God so commands, there will be several benefits. First, you will be able to stand the strain, and secondly, all these people will go home satisfied. So even at the age of eighty, Moshe listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said (18:23-24). This is just one example of why God says that Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). He accepted the advice of Jethro at Rephidim, but the judges were not appointed until after the giving of the Torah (Numbers 11:16-17; Deuteronomy 1:9-18). Perhaps Moses wanted to wait for divine approval before proceeding.³³⁶ It was included here to complete the story about Jethro’s counsel. Occasionally writers from the TaNaKh treated subjects topically rather than in strict chronological order.³³⁷

He chose capable men from all Isra’el and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves (18:25-26). These two verses are the specifics of the instructions given by Jethro to Moshe. They are repeated almost word for word from 18:22-22.

This principle of a plurality of leadership, division of authority, and a chain of command is also woven into the community of believers today as well. The Bible does not ever suggest a one-man-show over any congregation. And assemblies that have gone astray on this issue have become hierarchical, where one man is a dictator, micro-managing every detail. The Bible teaches that there should be a plurality of elders who make decisions over the local assembly. So congregations of believers that expect their spiritual leaders to do all the work, actually force believers to act in an unbiblical manner. All should use their spiritual gifts.

In times of great crisis, God has always provided men to lead the way to deliverance. Moses is an eloquent example of this very fact. The hand of God prepared him for that very moment in history. He was well aware of Egyptian customs and was therefore able to articulate demands before Amenhotep II, the king of Egypt. He had been trained in military matters and was able to organize two to three million people to move across the desert. His education in Egypt had given him the ability to write, and therefore provided the means by which the history of the Jewish people could be recorded for eternity. Forty years of desert experience had given Moses the know-how to travel in the desert as well as the kind of preparation that would be needed to survive in the desert heat. This was no accident. God provided for His people. And those who belong to Him have every reason to be confident that He is a promise keeper.³³⁸

Now Jethro Heard Everything God Had Done
for Moses and for His People Isra’el
18: 1-12

Now Jethro heard everything God had done for Moses and for his people Isra’el DIG: What kind of relationship did Moses enjoy with his father-in-law? Was it relaxed or casual? Trusting or suspicious? Affirming or critical? Why?

REFLECT: The burnt offering was atonement for sin. It was an acknowledgement of sin and a desire to be cleansed. How do we do this today? When you feel the weight of your sin and you want to get rid of it, where do you go? What happens if we claim to be without sin? Read First John 1:5-10.

Parashah 17: Yitro (Jethro) 18:1-20:26
(See my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key People are Jethro, Moses, Zipporah, Gershom, Eleazer, and Aaron.

The Scenes include the wilderness of Sinai and Mount Sinai.

The Main Events include Jethro hearing what God has done, rejoicing, and giving Moshe advice to delegate part of his duties as judge; ADONAI coming down from Mount Sinai and speaking the Ten Words (see the commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Bk – The Ten Words), the people trembling, and Moshe approaching YHVH alone.

The children of Isra’el hardly had enough time to catch their breath from crossing the Sea of Reeds when they were brought face-to-face with their Redeemer. In Parashah Yitro, Moshe learns some leadership principles from his father-in-law, Yitro (Jethro), then ascends Mount Sinai to meet YHVH alone and receive the Ten Words. This is not only one of the most important events in the history of Isra’el, but also in the history of the world. There is no code of laws that have influenced  the whole world as much as the Bible, and in the Bible the Torah that ADONAI gave to Isra’el through the hands of Moshe at the foot of Mount Sinai is one of the most significant events in God’s intervention in the affairs of mankind.

The word of the Lord’s victory at the Sea of Reeds reached Jethro’s ears. So the timing of his arrival at the Israelite camp was no accident. Having heard of their victory over the Amalekites at Rephidim, he decided to go visit his son-in-law and celebrate with him. Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moshe and for his people Isra’el, and how ADONAI had brought Isra’el out of Egypt (18:1). The Midianites did not have a king like other nations; therefore, their highest office was that of the priest and Jethro was not his real name, but his official name, like Abimelech in Genesis or Pharaoh in Exodus.

Jethro also took along his two grandsons and his daughter Zipporah. After Moshe had sent his wife Zipporah back to Midian, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons (18:2-3a). In all likelihood, she was sent back to her homeland because of her negative attitude toward the covenant of Circumcision (Genesis 17:9-14; Exodus 4:24-26). As a result, she and her two sons missed all the miracles that God performed in Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the cleansing of the bitter water at Marah, the provision of quail and manna in the Desert of Sin, the river of water miraculously gushing out from the rock at Meribah, and the wonderful victory over the Amalekites. It is interesting that Moses would later remarry (Numbers 12), and Zipporah’s name would never again appear in the Scriptures. Many commentators have assumed that Zipporah died before he married; but it may be that she remained with her father after he returned to his own country. Regardless of where she ended up, the reason that she and her two sons are mentioned is to remind the readers of where Moshe and the Israelites have been.

The name that Moses gave to his two sons reflected his spiritual experiences in Egypt. One son was named Gershom, which means an alien there or banishment, and refers to Moshe’s realization that he and the Israelites had become like aliens in a foreign land (18:3). His son’s name was a constant reminder of their banishment. Gershom was circumcised on the eighth day as God had commanded (Genesis 17:1-27), but it was his circumcision that soured Zipporah on its practice.

And we learn for the first time that the other son was named Eliezer, which means God is help. This name indicated something of the gratitude that Moshe had for God’s protection during his flight from Egypt. By naming his son Eliezer, Moses indicated that God was his helper. He remembered how God saved him from the sword of Pharaoh (18:4). Eliezer was not circumcised, which brought about the death threat against Moshe (Genesis 17:14). Therefore, to save her husband’s life, Zipporah circumcised Eliezer even though she evidently detested the practice (4:24-26). But she still didn’t believe in circumcision.

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moshe’s sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God (18:5). They camped at Rephidim, which was their last stop on their way to Mount Sinai. The slopes of Mount Sinai reached Rephidim, so they were near it, but they had not reached it yet. This points us forward in time because worshiping at Mount Sinai would be the sign and fulfillment of the promise the God had given to Moshe at the burning bush (3:12).

Jethro had sent word to him saying: I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons. The greeting of Jethro had all the characteristics of an oriental meeting. The formal courtesies that Moshe gave to Jethro emphasized the respect that he had for him, for he was one of great authority. Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him because he respected the office of priest that he held. They greeted each other and after the formalities, they went into the tent (18:6-7). This meeting took priority over the return of Moshe’s family because Jethro had the highest social position, even above Moses.

Moses told his father-in-law about everything ADONAI had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Isra’el’s sake and about the hardships they had met along the way and how ADONAI had saved them. The prophet took no honor for himself and Jethro showed great interest in everything that Moshe told him. Jethro was especially delighted to hear about all the good things ADONAI had done for Isra’el in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians (18:8-9)

The story of Jethro’s conversion is a beautiful one indeed.³²⁸ He said: Praise be to ADONAI, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians (18:10). Although neither the Egyptians nor the Amalekites got it, Jethro, the Midianite, had learned the lesson of the exodus by saying: Now I know that ADONAI is greater than all other gods (see the similar confession of Naaman the Aramean in Second Kings 5:15), for he did this to those who had treated Isra’el arrogantly (18:11).³²⁹ Jethro must be considered unique, for it is clear from Scripture that the Midianites were generally idolaters who worshiped many gods (Numbers 25:17-18, 31:16).³³⁰

At that time Jethro gave a practical expression to his praise. Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Isra’el to eat manna with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God (18:12). The phrase, brought a burnt offering, is key to understanding this verse. It always means to provide an animal for sacrifice (Exodus 25:2; Leviticus 12:8); it never means to officiate at a sacrifice. And the fact that it was a burnt offering was very significant. A burnt offering was a voluntary act of worship on Jethro’s part. Its purpose was atonement for sin and an expression of complete surrender to God. The burnt offering was completely consumed by fire but the fellowship offerings (other sacrifices) were part of a communal meal that Jethro shared with Aaron and all the elders of Isra’el. This was evidence that Jethro had come to a saving knowledge of God.

What a wonderful family conversation we are witnessing. Moses and Jethro were not talking about the weather, sheepherding, or the latest caravan gossip. No, they were talking about the wondrous works of God. Moshe was sharing his testimony, the good news, with his father-in-law. What a joy. Each one of us should consider the manner that we deal with our families. What do you talk about around the dinner table? In what do we rejoice when we hear of it? Not that we are perfect, but we need to think about these things.

Jethro’s response to the good news was also amazing. Whereas the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron (16:2), here was a Midianite who rejoiced over God’s goodness to Isra’el! The faith of a Gentile put to shame the faith of the people of Isra’el. What Jesus said about the Roman centurion could also be said of him: I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Isra’el with such great faith (Matthew 8:10).³³¹

Moses and Jethro
18: 1-27

Before we arrive at Mount Sinai and the culminating scene of the exodus, the author records a story of Jethro’s visit to Moshe. His visit contrasts with the Amalekite conflict. The Amalekites came to fight, while Jethro sought knowledge. With one there was war, with the other mediating for peace; with one, Moses’ hands grew tired, and with the other his work grew too heavy. There are three sections to this chapter: the arrival of Jethro (18:1-12), the appointment of judges (18:13-26), and the return of Jethro to Midian (18:27). As we come to the close of this chapter, we, like the Israelites, are prepared to approach God at Mount Sinai.³²⁷

The Amalekites Came
and Attacked the Israelites at Rephidim
17: 8-16

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim DIG: Read this section and compare it to First Samuel 15:32-33. God’s desire was to completely destroy the Amalekites. Explain Samuel’s words: As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women. Read Hebrews 10:5-9, 7:23-25 and First Samuel 14:20-26. King Sha’ul lost his throne and his dynasty because he feared annihilating Amalek’s throne. What throne will Messiah and His martyrs inherit, when God establishes His throne?

REFLECT: When and how have you needed your faith propped up? What battle has God won in your life lately? What would you name your altar? God is my ___________? How hard is it for you to relinquish every area of your life to God? What part(s) of your life do you think you are still in control of? What does He think about that (see Revelation 3:15)?

This section is very similar to the previous one. Both are based at Rephidim and both involve a great test. The staff of God played a significant role and He intervened to save His people in both instances. The major difference was that after leaving Egypt the adversity experienced by the Israelites had been against an inanimate foe, a lack of food and water. But then Isra’el discovered that perhaps there were worse enemies than even hunger and thirst; they were confronted with a human enemy. This was the first battle against a human enemy since their deliverance from bondage.

We learn that Amalek declared war on Isra’el. But who was Amalek? In Genesis 36:12 we are told that Amalek was the son of a man named Eliphaz, therefore Amalek was the grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12), and the great-grandson of Isaac. Yet in spite of this, his descendants, the Amalekites, came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim (17:8). They were a tribal group living in Sinai and southwest Canaan as early as the patriarchal period (Genesis 14:7). Moved by suspicion, jealousy and fear, they were determined to prevent the passage of the Israelites through what they perceived to be their territory. So they opposed the purpose and plan of God. Some believe that they were fighting over control of the Kadesh Oasis, a very important caravan center. However, the exact location of the battle is unknown. Probably the most that can be said is that the Amalekites attacked Isra’el because they felt threatened with regard to their control of oasis and caravan routes.³¹⁸ No doubt they felt they could easily defeat this newly freed slave rabble without supplies or knowledge of the country. For indeed the Israelites were an ill-equipped, ill-disciplined and inexperienced mob going out against a well-equipped and experienced foe. But the Amalekites did not know the power of God.³¹⁹

The manner of their attack was a sort of harassing, guerilla warfare against Isra’el. Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind. They had no fear of God (Deuteronomy 25:17-18). As a result of this sneak attack, Isra’el was to counterattack.

We see here for the first time a man named Joshua, whose original name was Hoshea (Numbers 13:6). Later, Moses would change his name from Hoshea, which means savior, to Joshua, which means The Lord is salvation. It is interesting to note that Joshua translated from the Greek into English means Jesus. Joshua became the personal aid to Moshe (Exodus 24:13, 33:11; Joshua 1:1), and would later bring Isra’el into the Promised Land of Canaan. One is immediately impressed with the faith and obedience of Joshua (17:10). He was about forty-five years old at the time. Without question or objection he organized the relatively untrained and unseasoned soldiers of Isra’el and fought the Amalekites.

Isra’el did not leave immediately as they had done when they left Egypt. At that time, the people merely watched as God crushed their enemy. But here they would defend themselves. Remarkably, there appeared to be no fear of confusion among the Israelites in such a crisis. Moses calmly ordered Joshua son of Nun: Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in both my hands and raise it up when I pray (17:9). The use of the word tomorrow reminds us of the plagues of Egypt (8:10, 8:23, 8:29, 9:5, 9:18, and 10:4).

The fact that God ordered His people to fight their enemies on the field of battle has often dismayed the readers of the Bible. Many have charged God with being cruel and bloodthirsty, while others have tried to dissociate what they believe to be the wrath of Ha’Shem in the TaNaKh from the love ADONAI in the B’rit Chadashah. But ADONAI’s love appears often in the TaNaKh (in Deuteronomy and Hosea, for example) and His wrath is found often in the B’rit Chadashah (in Revelation, for example). The same holy God always loves sinners at the same time that He always hates their sins. When people persist in rebelling against Him, He punishes them and if they eventually pass the point of no return, they bring about their own doom and destruction. Willful, unrepentant, sinful conduct – like that of Amenhotep II of Egypt, for example – always brings divine judgment, whether the agent of the judgment is impersonal (such as during Noah’s flood or against Sodom and Gomorrah) or personal (such as during the conquest of Canaan in the book of Joshua).

While God is gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness (34:6), He does not leave the guilty unpunished (34:7). He sometimes uses the battlefield as an arena of judgment against those who, like the Amalekites, were persistent in their refusal to fear Him (Deuteronomy 25:18).³²⁰

Moses was so old at this point, that he could not physically lead his people into battle. But that didn’t matter because prayer would win the battle. In his hands Moshe held the staff of God, through which His power had brought the plagues of Egypt and water from the rock at Rephidim. So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moshe, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill (17:10). As in the case of Joshua in verse 9, here the person of Hur is first introduced. He would later become an important judicial figure in early Isra’el (24:14). He was probably from the tribe of Judah and was the grandfather of Bezalel, the leader in the construction of the Tabernacle (31:2, 35:30, 38:22).³²¹ The rabbis teach that he was either the husband, or the son of Miriam, the sister of Moses.

The key to the battle lay in the hands of Moshe. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning (17:11). While Moshe’s hands were upheld in intercession, Isra’el gained the victory. As usual, their help came from above. When in bondage in Egypt they could have looked over the whole earth and there was not one nation to help them. But when they looked up and cried out to God, He delivered them. When they were trapped by Pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea, help also came from above. It was the same at Marah, Elim, the Desert of Sin, and it would be the same here at Rephidim. God was evidently trying to teach them the lesson that He would have all His children learn. In this new life with Him we are to depend totally and completely upon Him for everything.

When a bitter experience comes to us in this life, go to God for comfort. As sweet as human sympathy may be, it is only God who can wipe away tears and heal broken hearts. When your soul is faint and hungry, do not seek the safety of anything this world has to offer, but feed upon the true Bread from heaven. And when you are thirsty, drink only of the Living Water.³²²

If Isra’el was to defeat the Amalekites, Moshe needed help. When Moses’ arms grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his arms up – one on one side, and one on the other side – so that his arms remained steady till sunset (17:12). The basic meaning for the Hebrew word steady is faithful, trustworthy or true. Normally, it is used in a moral sense and this is the only time in the Bible where it relates to something physical.

So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword (17:13); yet, this was not a victory of total destruction. The verb overcame means to weaken or disable. There is a play on words between the noun halas, and the noun used in Deuteronomy 25:18 to describe the stragglers who were weary and worn out, or hannehesalim, being picked off by the Amalekite army. Therefore, Joshua made weak and disabled those who prayed upon the weak and disabled.323

With the battle over, we have the remembrance of Amalek. Then ADONAI said to Moses His servant: Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven (17:14). This is the first mention of writing as related to Scripture and official Hebrew records. Moshe evidently kept a diary of Isra’el’s journey through the desert as implied in Numbers 33:2. Moses’ major role in writing the first five books of the Bible is emphasized over and over (Exodus 24:4, 34:27-28; Numbers 33:2; Deuteronomy 28:58, 29:20-21 and 27, 30:10, 31:9, 19 and 22). Scrolls of the kind used by Moshe were long, narrow sheets of leather or papyrus on which scribes wrote with pen (Isaiah 8:1) and ink (Jeremiah 36:18), sometimes on both sides (Ezeki’el 2:10; Revelation 5:1). Because they were clumsy to read and difficult to store, soon after the time of Christ the scroll gave way to the book format still used today.³²⁴

Moshe built an altar and called it ADONAI Nissi, or ADONAI is my Banner (17:15). Other altars were built elsewhere in the TaNaKh. For example, Jacob built an altar at Shechem and he called it El Elohe Isra’el, literally meaning God, the God of Isra’el (Genesis 33:20). These altars were not built for sacrifice, but to remember some event that had happened there. The Hebrew word often translated banner is really a standard or signal-pole. In ancient times, it bore an emblem, symbol or banner on its top. It was used as a rallying point, and was often placed upon a high hill to be seen by all (Numbers 21:4-9). It was an object of hope for the people. Therefore, the appearance of Moses on top of the hill with the staff of God in his hand acted much like a banner.

Commenting on the reason for Isra’el’s victory, Moshe said: For my hands, with the power of God in my staff, were lifted up to the throne of the Lord, and ADONAI will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation (17:16). Therefore, the Amalekites would be a thorn in the side of Isra’el for generations to come. One year later, the Amalekites joined forces with the Canaanites at Kadesh-Barnea to defeat the Israelites (Numbers 14:45). Balaam would later prophesy: Amalek was the first among the nations, but he will come to ruin at last (Numbers 24:20). The Amalekites were the first among the nations to attack Isra’el after the deliverance from Egypt, and they later subjugated the Israelites in the period of the judges (Judges 3:13, 6:3-6, 7:12).

Haftarah b’Shallach: Shof’tim (Judges) 4:4-5:31 (A), 5:1-31 (S)
(See the commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

Sisra, captain of the army of Canaanite King Yavin, oppressed Isra’el for twenty years. Like Pharaoh, he had a huge force of 900 iron chariots (Judges 4:2-3). In both cases, the chariots bogged down while pursuing Isra’el and the armies panicked (Judges 4:15; Exodus 14:24-25). Once again, ADONAI gave the marching orders and the entire army was destroyed (Judges 4:7 and 16; Exodus 14:15 and 28). What has changed this time is that the Israelite army is fighting and the battle takes place in the Land of Promise. When the Canaanites were routed, it was Debrah and Barak who sang the song of rejoicing (Judges 5). Curiously, the song ends with a depiction of Sisra’s mother. She rationalizes, “Of course! They’re collecting and dividing the spoil” (Judges 5:28-30). She waits, wistfully confident and completely unaware that God has hardened Sisra, her Canaanite son, for final judgment (Judges 4:9).³²⁵

B’rit Chadashah suggested readings for Parashah B’shallach: Luke 2:22-24; Yochanan (John) 6:25-35, 19:31-37; First Corinthians 10:1-13; Second Corinthians 8:1-15 and Revelation 15:1-4

ADONAI, God of heaven’s angelic armies, has begun His reign (Revelation 19:6)! The huge crowd without number continues: For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb and His Bride (19:7). The angel of God tells the birds of the air to prepare to gorge themselves on the flesh of kings, generals, important men, horses and riders from all the nations (Revelation 19:18). Once more, ADONAI summons the forces of the deep to serve His purposes. The lake of fire that burns with sulfur engulfs the beast and the false prophet, while the birds gorge on the slain armies that foolishly tried to fight the God of the universe (19:20-21). The Adversary himself, along with all evil, is chained and thrown into the Abyss for a thousand years (Revelation 20:2-3). Martyrs and those who risked their lives will at that time triumph over death. They will rule with Messiah over the nations of the earth in a peaceful theocracy lasting a thousand years. We look forward to the return of King Messiah to establish His peace plan!³²⁶

Strike the Rock and Water Will Come Out of It
17: 1-7

Strike the rock and water will come out of it DIG: Why is this the same song, second verse? How does this passage compare with 16:1-4? What is wrong with this picture? Why didn’t the water come out until after the rock was struck? Was this for the benefit of Moses, the people, or the elders? Was thirst the only problem? What was the deeper object lesson and how well did they learn it (Numbers 20:1-3)?

REFLECT: Have you been to the rock that was struck for a drink of living water? Jesus Christ says if you drink of that water, you will never thirst again (John 7:37-39)! Are you spiritually thirsty? To see link click Fg – The Peace Offering, and discover how you can receive living water.

And the whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin. Note that in the Hebrew, Chapter 17 begins with the word And, which connects it with Chapter 16. So, too, Chapter 16 opens with the same word, which links it to the bitter water of Marah in Chapter 15. It is such a little word, but it makes such a big difference because there is a common thread of complaining in all three of these chapters. And here, once again, Isra’el was face to face with another trial of faith. Their dependency upon God was tested. This time it was not a lack of food, but the absence of water. How this illustrates the fact that the path of faith is a path of trial. God’s plan is to wean us from everything down here (First Peter 2:11), to bring us to the place where we have no reliance upon material or human resources, but to cast ourselves completely upon Himself. O how slow, how painfully slow we are to learn this lesson. How miserably and how repeatedly we fail! How longsuffering God is with us. This is what the introductory word and is designed to point out. Here in Chapter 17 it is but a tragic repetition of the beginning of Chapter 16.³⁰⁹

They traveled from place to place as ADONAI commanded. If the pillar of cloud moved, they moved; if the pillar of fire stood still, they stood still. Encampment locations at Dophkah and Alush (Numbers 33:12-14) are omitted here to focus on the incidents of testing and complaining.³¹⁰ They camped at Rephidim, which was their last stop on their way to Mount Sinai. It was probably either Wadi Refayid or Wadi Feiran, both of which are not far from Jebel Musa, the traditional site of Mount Sinai in the southeastern region of the peninsula.³¹¹ But there was no water for the people to drink (17:1). At Marah there was water, although bitter, but God made it sweet. At Rephidim, however, there was no water at all. It would have to be created out of nothing (Genesis 1:1).

Again, the lack of water became a stumbling block. But this time their rebellion became much more of a problem than the last incident at Marah (15:24) or in the Desert of Sin (16:1-3) because a mob mentality began to develop. Parched from their journey and finding no water, they complained to Moses and were almost ready to stone him (17:4). The leadership and capability of Moshe should have been established by then, but to a people easily influenced by the mixed multitude (12:43-51), and the difficulty of the circumstances made Moses’ track record easy to forget. Such complaining, Moses said, put God to the test (17:2), that is, they were challenging God or trying His patience rather than trusting in Him.³¹² In fact, the whole history of the desert wanderings of the Israelites is a good example of the longsuffering of ADONAI with a people who constantly tested and provoked Him (Psalm 78:56; 106:7, 14, 25, 29).

While there is no doubt that the shortage of water reached a dangerous level, the people should not have tested Moshe, but should have turned to God who had already proven His ability to provide for them in the past.³¹³ But the people were thirsty for water there, and they complained to Moses. They said: Why did you bring us and our children and livestock to die of thirst (17:3)? Their language is angry and hostile. However, God, as always, graciously supplied the people’s need. ADONAI answered Moshe and commanded: Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Isra’el and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile (7:20), and go from Rephidim to the region of Mount Horeb (17:5). Horeb was the place where God had revealed Himself to Moshe at the burning bush (3:1-5). It refers to a range of mountains. So Horeb is a mountain range that contains Mount Sinai. The slopes of Horeb reached Rephidim, so the walk that Moses and the elders took was not a long one.

God announced that He Himself would: Stand there before you by the rock at Mount Horeb. Some argue this is merely anthropomorphic language, using human imagery to describe the presence of God. Others see a theophany in which the pillar of cloud descended upon the rock. Either way, God was at Horeb in a special, unique way in order to provide for His people. He said: Strike the hard, dry rock with your staff, and water will come out of it for the people to drink. It was not until the rock was struck with the staff of Moshe that the water gushed out. This was another Exodus-like event.³¹⁴ Because water is a picture of the Ruach ha-Kodesh (John 7:38-39), this foreshadows the coming of the Spirit of God at Shavu’ot (Acts 2:1-4) after the death of Christ on the cross (Isaiah 53:4-12; John 19:16b-37). We learn more about this incident in the Psalms. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert. For He remembered His holy promise given to His servant Abraham (Psalm 105:41-42). It was because of His covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15) that God gave the water to Isra’el.³¹⁵ So Moses did this in the sight of all the elders of Isra’el so that they could be witnesses to the miracle and relay what they had seen to the unbelieving people (17:6). The word rock is used here in a literal sense. There was a real rock at Horeb and when Moshe struck it, real water came out of it, providing water for the children of Isra’el.

However, whenever the word rock is used symbolically, it is always used of the second person of the Trinity, or Jesus Christ. The Paul makes this very clear when he wrote to the church he had founded in the city of Corinth. He said to them: For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they passed through the Red Sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ (First Corinthians 10:1-4; also see Hebrews 11:24-26).

So, although the Bible uses many symbols, it uses them consistently. Whenever the word rock is used, it is a picture of Christ, although sometimes it will have a slightly different emphasis. There are seven examples of this. First, sometimes when the rock is used of Christ, or the Messiah, the emphasis is on His deity, as the God-man (Genesis 49:24; Deuteronomy 32:15; Second Samuel 23:2-3; Psalm 18:31; Matthew 15:16-18).

Secondly, the emphasis on His pre-existence is found in Dani’el 2:34 where Christ is referred to as a rock that was cut out, but not by human hands.

Thirdly, another usage is that Christ was the stone has been tried, tested and proven to be true. Like the Lamb of God, He was without spot or blemish (Isaiah 28:16; First Peter 2:4 and 6).

Fourthly, still another usage of the word rock is used in reference to the Messiah as the foundation (Matthew 16:18, 21:44).

Fifthly, to the Jews and other nonbelievers He is a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall (Isaiah 8:14; Romans 9:32; First Corinthians 1:23; First Peter 2:8).

Sixthly, another common motif of the stone in reference to Christ is to call it the rejected stone, because the TaNaKh made it clear that when the Messiah came the first time, He would be rejected by His people (Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11). Therefore, out of this historical incident a picture of the Messiah begins to develop. He would be a proven and tested stone, but is rejected by the nation of Isra’el to become a stone of stumbling.

Ultimately, however, He would become the cornerstone of the Church (Isaiah 28:16; Ephesians 2:20; First Peter 2:6).

In Numbers 20:8-12 we are told of a second time that the children of Isra’el complained that they had no water. The first time Isra’el complained about being thirsty, God told Moses to strike the rock and water would come out of it for the people to drink. In Numbers, however, God gave Moshe different directions. He told Moses to speak to the rock and water would pour out of it. Moses was supposed to speak to the rock because the Messiah was to be stricken only once. After that we only need to ask for salvation. Christ was crucified twenty centuries ago, and from the cross He said: It is finished (John 19:30), and it was finished indeed. He does not have to be crucified again. When He comes back a second time it will not be to die; it will be to rule and reign the entire world as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). God the Father is satisfied with what God the Son did for you. The question is, “Are you satisfied with the work Christ did for you on the cross?” He died to save you. All God the Father is asking, is that you believe in, trust in, have faith in, His Son.³¹⁶

And Moshe called the place Massah, or testing, because the Israelites tested Him there, and he also called the place Meribah, or complaining, because the Israelites complained to God saying: Is ADONAI among us or not (17:7)? Like Pharaoh before them, how many times did they need to see God work before they understood? Did they not see that God had their best interests at heart? Did they not see that He had moved mightily from the time of the patriarchs to come to that very moment and He wasn’t going to let a little thing like the water supply stand in the way of fulfilling His plan?³¹⁷ Still the people complained, and the fruits of their complaining would sow thorns of conflict in the future. And conflict would breed contention. Soon the Amalekites would attack the Israelites, and then it would be Isra’el who would be tested.

Preparation of the Israelites for Mount Sinai
17:1 to 18:27

After leaving Dophkah the people of Isra’el eventually reached their fourth important stop at Rephidim, but found no water. God was preparing them for their encounter with Him at Mount Sinai. One would have thought that after seeing Ha’Shem’s power over water at the Sea of Reeds and at Marah, and His abundant supply at Elim, that the Israelites would have learned to trust Him for water anywhere. But they seemed incapable of faith and met their new trial by grumbling.

Three important events happened at Rephidim. The first was the rock that was struck. The second was the defeat of the Amalekites, led by Joshua. And the third was Moses’ encounter with Jethro and his advice in helping Moshe with his tremendous task of counseling. All this was in preparation for Mount Sinai.

That Evening Quail Came and Covered the Camp
16: 13-36

That evening quail came and covered the camp DIG: What were the promises and requirements associated with God’s provision of the manna? Why allow some to gather much and some to gather little? Why provide food that only lasts for one day? What was different about the sixth and seventh days? What does this say about the trust relationship God desires?

REFLECT: The Torah commands that Isra’el keep the Sabbath holy. But Isra’el hadn’t reached Mount Sinai and the commandments had not yet been given (20:8-11). Why did God teach about the Sabbath here?

That evening quail came and covered the camp (Psalm 78:26-29), and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp (16:13). The habits of quail lend itself to the biblical picture. First, the bird flies mostly at night. Secondly, after migration the birds are so exhausted that they can be caught with bare hands. Lastly, they make use of favorable winds (Numbers 11:31). Like the manna, the amount of quail in and around the Hebrew camp was astounding.³⁰⁵ God rained meat down on them like dust, flying birds like sand on the seashore (Psalm 78:27). The Holy Spirit spends most of His time here describing the manna because everyone knows what quail is. But manna is quite a different story.

When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor (16:14). The miracle was that the manna was found in such giant quantities. To feed two million people, they would have needed about nine million pounds of manna per day; that equals about forty-five hundred tons per day, or about a million tons annually for forty years. All very remarkably scheduled every morning! So any natural cause would seem to be quite a stretch.

When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other: What is it? In Hebrew, this is two words, man hu, translated “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them: It is the bread God has given you to eat (16:15). Psalm 78:23-25 describes it as the grain of heaven and the bread of angels.

This is what ADONAI has commanded to you: Each one is to gather as much as he needs. This was exactly the formula given at the Egyptian Passover (see Bv – The Egyptian Passover). Take an omer, probably about two quarts, for each person you have in your tent (16:16). The point was that no one should hoard any food. An omer is one tenth of an ephah (16:36). It should not be assumed that manna was the only thing the Israelites ate for forty years. We must remember that they brought large flocks and herds with them out of Egypt (12:38; 17:3). They continued to possess these not only in Sinai (34:3) but had them when they reached Edom and the country east of the Jordan (Deuteronomy 2:6-7). That wheat and meats were available to them is clearly implied in such references as Exodus 17:3, 24:5, 34:3; Leviticus 8:2, 26, 31, 9:4, 10:12, 24:5; and Numbers 7:13, 19).³⁰⁶

The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little (16:17). And when they measure it by the omer, each person who gathered much did not have too much, and each person who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as needed to be satisfied from hunger (16:18). Paul cites this as an illustration for believers who share their possessions with each other (Second Corinthians 8:15).

However, the greed of some Hebrews caused some to keep what they had collected over night. Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning,” but should trust in God that He would provide for them each and every day (16:19). No one was duty bound to eat the whole omer, but what was not eaten was supposed to be thrown away. However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but when morning came they discovered that it was full of maggots and began to smell. This seems to be a deliberate allusion to the first plague on Egypt in which the Nile was contaminated and smelled (7:18). So Moses was angry with them (16:20). There is no stronger verb in the Hebrew to reflect wrath or anger, than the one used here. The Hebrews were again living by sight and not by faith.³⁰⁷

The manna had to be gathered early in the morning because when the sun grew hot, it melted away. Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed (16:21). The rabbis teach that what was left in the field melted and flowed away in streams. Animals drank of it, and these animals were hunted by other peoples who, by eating the flesh, experienced the taste of the manna and thereby appreciated Israel’s honor. But a different rule applied to the Sabbath. On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much – two omers for each person – and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses (16:22).

God not only supplied food for the people of Isra’el, He also provided rest. He said to them: This is what ADONAI commanded to you: Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to ADONAI. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning because it would not be spoiled (16:23). So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it (16:24). Any other time if it were left overnight, it would have decayed, but not on the seventh day. Moses said: Eat today because today is a Sabbath to ADONAI. You will not find any of it on the ground today (16:25). Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any manna on the ground for you to eat (16:26). Therefore, the concept of the Sabbath was given even before the children of Isra’el arrived at Mount Sinai.

Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none (16:27). Then ADONAI said to Moses His servant: How long will you refuse to keep My commands and instructions about the Sabbath (16:28)? Moses asked Pharaoh a similar question: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me (10:3)? The Israelites, therefore, were stubbornly disregarding the Word of God like Amenhotep II. And if they continued to rebel, they would receive the same diseases that fell like plagues upon the people of Egypt (15:26).

God Himself spoke and announced that the Sabbath is a divine gift to His people. Bear in mind that ADONAI has given you the Sabbath; this why on the sixth day He gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out to gather manna (16:29). So the people rested, the Hebrew word sabat, on the seventh day, the Hebrew word seba (16:30). Today the people of Isra’el call the Sabbath the shabbat, or rest. Moses would then gave some editorial commentary regarding the giving of manna throughout the rest of the desert wanderings.

First, he summarized the previous material from this chapter. The people of Isra’el called the bread manna. It was white like a round coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey (16:31). Numbers 11:8 describes its taste as something made with olive oil.

ADONAI commanded Moses to take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt. It served as a continual reminder of God’s provision for His people in their time of need. Then Aaron took a golden jar filled with manna and put it in the ark, that it might be kept for future generations (Exodus 16:32-34; Hebrews 9:4). Moses inserted this when he wrote the book of Exodus to show that the Hebrews did fulfill the commands God gave when the manna was given to them. The rabbis teach that these verses should logically follow the account of the erection of the Tabernacle, but is placed here to stress the miracle of the manna.

The Israelites ate manna for forty years, until they came to a Land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan (16:35). The number forty became a symbol of hardship and trial (Genesis 7:12; First Samuel 17:16; Matthew 4:2). Once in Canaan, they no longer needed manna when they celebrated their first Passover. As a result, God stopped supplying it (Joshua 5:10-12).

In Deuteronomy 8:4 we find that during the forty years that the Israelites wandered in the desert their feet did not swell. One of the common causes of foot-swelling in the Orient is an improper diet. It is interesting that the manna had all the vitamins and minerals that they needed to keep their feet from swelling as they journeyed through the desert. The manna was adequate to meet their needs.³⁰⁸

But God had a much greater purpose for giving manna to the children of Isra’el than merely to feed them. Moses later commented that: He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God . . . He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you (Deuteronomy 8:3 and 16). The most important reason that manna was given was to teach His people to depend on Him and His Word. Our continued existence depends on Him and Him alone. When Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread during His forty days of fasting, Jesus answered: It is written that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

I Will Rain Down Manna from Heaven for You
16: 4-12

I will rain down manna from heaven for you DIG: Read 16:4 and John 6:57-61, 66. In both instances, how does God test whether or not His followers will walk in His word? How do you account for the presence of manna? Do you think it was a natural food or something unique and supernatural?

REFLECT: What is the difference between your wants and your needs? How has God provided for your needs? I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken, or their children begging for bread (Psalm 37:25). Is this true?

When the Israelites grumbled under the slavery of Egypt, Pharaoh made their lives harder by making them find their own straw. But here God met their grumbling with a gracious promise. Then ADONAI said to Moses His prophet: I will rain down bread from heaven for you. This bread from heaven would be remembered and celebrated for generations to come (Psalm 78:24-25, 105:40; Nehemiah 9:15; John 6:31).³⁰² When God refers to it in the Bible, He always refers to it as bread; but when the Israelites refer to it, they always refer to it as manna (16:31). What providential care! God took care of the Israelites in somewhat the same fashion as He had in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8-16). They received bread without toil.

The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day and no more. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow My instructions (16:4). The purpose was to test them to see if they would depend on Him. This command probably underscores Jesus’ model when He said: Give us each day our daily bread (Mark 6:11; Luke 11:3). On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much of it laying on the ground as they gather on the other days (16:5) in order to provide for the seventh day, the Sabbath, a day of rest (16:23).

No concept of Sabbath rest has been found in ancient Egypt. That fact alone highlights the differences between God and Pharaoh. The God of the TaNaKh was compassionate and caring towards His people; however, Pharaoh was merely an oppressive taskmaster. So today when those who love God recite the commandment from the Torah to remember the Sabbath, they also remember their deliverance from slavery out of Egypt.

Manna as bread from heaven points to the coming of Jesus as the true bread from heaven, the bread of God, and the living bread that came down from heaven (John 6:32-33, 51), all in a spiritual sense (John 6:63). Yeshua, as both the bread of life (John 6:35, 48) and the source of the water of life (Revelation 21:6, 22:1 and 17), can therefore say to us: He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty (John 6:35). However, Messiah made a clear distinction between manna and Himself when he said: Our forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever (John 6:58). We will live forever when we believe in Him (John 6:40).³⁰³

Therefore, manna is a type of Christ. The Sh’khinah glory was connected with the giving of the manna (John 1:14); it came down from heaven (Ephesians 4:10), it was a free gift from God (John 3:16), the manna was sent to Isra’el (Matthew 15:24), people had to gather their own manna, it was to be a personal experience (John 1:12), they were to be fed daily from it (Psalm 69:19); the manna was despised by those who were not God’s children (Numbers 11:4-6; Revelation 16:8-11), manna did not decay on the Sabbath day (Psalm 16:8-10), and it is now hidden (Revelation 2:17).

Another typological application of manna is found in the TaNaKh itself. We are told that God gave His people manna to teach them that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of ADONAI (Deuteronomy 8:3). At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus used that verse in the desert as the Adversary tempted Him with hunger (Matthew 4:1-4; Luke 4:1-4). In doing so He illustrated the important fact that spiritual food is just as important as physical food.

So Moses and Aaron said to the nation of Isra’el, “In the evening you will know that it was ADONAI who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of ADONAI, because He has heard your complaining against Him. Who are we, that you should complain to us” (16:6-7)? Two physical signs were given to Isra’el so that the people would stop their grumbling and see the foolishness of their ways. Moses said: You will know that it was ADONAI when He gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against ADONAI (16:8). This verse is essentially the same as the previous one; however, the reiteration emphasizes that their grumblings were ultimately directed against God Himself.

Then the Sh’khinah glory appeared with yet another one of its ministries, providing nourishment for the children of Isra’el. It called Moses, it led Isra’el, it protected Isra’el, it destroyed the Egyptians, and now it will provide the food that Isra’el will need for the next forty years. Aaron continued to act as Moses’ spokesman by saying: Say to the entire Israelite community, “Come before ADONAI in the cloud, for He has heard your grumbling.” While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the Sh’khinah glory of ADONAI appearing in the cloud (16:9-10). He said to Moses His servant: I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, “At dawn you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am ADONAI your God” (16:11-12).

The desert experience of the Israelites is ours as well, but, as we see in Hebrews 3:9-10, with a slightly different twist. We are privileged to be living in the age in which the Kingdom of God has already come in Christ, although we still wait for His Second Coming. Even though we are fully capable of complaining, complaining and gossiping ourselves, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit enables us to resist those sins (James 4:7). But if all we learn from this section is “don’t be a complainer,” we will miss the riches it holds for us as we walk through the desert.

First, the desert is hostile territory to us and we are just passing through. It is still God’s world. It belongs to Him and He is still very much in control of His creation, although in ways not always clear to us. Just as the desert posed no barrier for God to act mightily on behalf of His people by providing food and water, the desert in which we live is fully at the Lord’s disposal as well. We need to take comfort in the fact that we, even here, are ADONAI’s special people. But we should not become too comfortable where we are. We are to fully trust Ha’Shem while we are here (unlike the Israelites), while at the same time not allowing our current circumstance to define our ultimate reality. Our gaze must always be where we are going, not where we are.

Secondly, we must not judge our circumstances by how we see them, but how God wants us to see them. This is exactly what the Israelites were guilty of. They were guilty of self-centeredness. Throughout Exodus we have seen their inclination for defining their situation in terms of their own perceptions. Whether it was the lack of straw to make bricks or the advancing Egyptian army on the shore of the Red Sea, the Israelites did not respond in a way that we would expect from people who have seen God’s mighty hand at work. Therefore, ADONAI wants us to look at the big picture. But seeing only our version of things is so natural to us! That, however, is the flesh. We need to live by the Spirit.³⁰⁴

If Only We Had Died by the LORD’s Hand in Egypt
16: 1-3

If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt DIG: Given the miraculous departure from Egypt, how do you account for the people complaining so soon? If they hadn’t complained, would ADONAI have heard them? Why or why not? What does that tell you about the relationship with God?

REFLECT: What does this passage teach us about the authority of Moses and God? About stress? Obedience? Trust? Who or what usually gets the brunt of your frustration? Why? One of the seven things that are detestable to God is a person who stirs up dissension among other believers (Proverbs 6:16-19). How are you doing?

And the people of Isra’el arrived at Dophkah after a one-month journey. The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt (16:1). They had been on their journey from Egypt for one full month (12:2, 6, 29, 31). No sooner had they set up their tents than they began to brumble about being hungry. In the desert the whole community grumbled to Moses and Aaron (16:2). This becomes a familiar pattern. God performs miracles on behalf of the Israelites, and their reaction is to grumble.

Again they failed their test of faith. They grumbled and regretted ever leaving Egypt. Like those with Stockholm Syndrome, they celebrated their captors rather than ADONAI, crying: If only we had died by ADONAI’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat, ate all the food we wanted like fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks onions and garlic (Numbers 11:5). They continued to lay it on thick by saying: But you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death (16:3). They were doing more grumbling in the Desert of Sin than they did under Pharaoh! When people wish themselves back to Egypt (a life of worldliness and sin), they forget both the bitterness of the old life and the blessings of the new.³⁰⁰ Two points here. First, from all the accounts of their life in Egypt, we never get the impression that they had plenty enough to eat, so they were really exaggerating. And secondly, it wasn’t Moses and Aaron that led them out of Egypt. It was God. And He was about to graciously answer their grumbling with a gift from heaven.

Are we not like the people of Isra’el? We often find ourselves in difficult situations and we grow anxious and look back, full of regrets and wish things had turned out differently. But we need to understand that Ha’Shem will test us as He tested Isra’el. These trials may have great benefits for us as believers, such as increasing our trust and dependence upon God, or bringing us back to the godly way of living and thinking, or many other reasons. So let us not rebel when things get difficult, but let us go to ADONAI in prayer and serve Him with all our hearts, souls and minds.³⁰¹